Fabricated structural member



Nov. 24, 1925.

e. H. DANFORTH FABRICATED STRUCTURAL MEMBER Fild April 2. 1924 p m H Patented Nov. 24, l9i ?5.

1 ,563,077 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. DANFORTH, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR' TO JONES &

LAUGHLIN STEEL CORPORATION, OF lIT'lEilZU'lli-GI-Iv PENNSYLVANIA; A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FABRICA'IED sTRUorUnaI. MEMBER.

Application fiie'ti April 2, 1924. Serial No. 703,652.

To all whom-it may concern:

Beit known that GEORGE H. 'DANFORTH, a citizen of the United- States. residing in Pittsburgh, in'the county of Allegheny and 5 State of Pennsylrz'inia, has invented an Impro ement in Fabricated Structural Members, of which the following description? in.

connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification like .characters on-the drawings 'i'epresenting like parts. I

My invention aims to strengthen and improve rolled structural members or shapes of open web or trussed form, and to enable such members to be readily and economicah 1y fabricated and utilized for building and other purposes. f

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention "for purposes of illustration,

. Fig. 1 is a side View ofa trussed web I- beam suchas is suitable for floor beams, roof trusses and purlins, bridge girders and other structural purposes; 2 Fig. 2 is an enlarged side .view of one end otthc beam shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same on the line Zl3 in Fig. 2; Fig. is a top view of the-end portion of the beam. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 being drawn to the same scale; and i Fig. 5 a side View of a portion of a trussed web I-bcam havingweb bracing serving also as'a means of connection and support for other parts of the structure.

The invention may be applied to I-beams, channels, Z-sections, T-sections, H-sections, and other shapes with and without flanges, having trussed or open web portions formed integrally with the flanges or margins. In rolling such structural shapes the web portions (which may be in the form of tie; members) are most readily made of uniform strength and are equally spaced lengthwise of the shape. This distribution of webmem- -bers is not suitable for developing the maximum strength of the section under all conditions of load. Also, in using such shapes, they may require to be cut at points between 5 members, and they may be called upon to support concentrated loads, as, for example, at the points of support of a beam. In

' manufacture.

the panel points, i. e., the cndsof thetie such and many other cases, provision may advantageously be made to prevent collapse of the shape at unsupported or highly stressed points by additional lH'flCii'lfi for the web portions capable of resisting bending and shearing stresses.

The particular en'ibodiment of the invention selected for illustration herein and shown in the drawings comprises angle plate stitl'eners for reentorcing the ends and selected intermediate points of lattice-web structural shapes, but other shapes and forms ot'stiifeners are contemplated. ,Refer-ring particularly to Fig. 1, the invention is embodied in a trussed I-beam having flanges 12 connected by angularly disposed lattice or web members 13 formed integrally with the flanges by any suitable process of Each end of the beam is strengthened by securing thereto suitable stiffeners or ,reentorement, such as the angle plates 14, which are preferably disposed on opposite sides of the web members of the beam at its ends and substantially parallel to and near the upper flange and which in the form shown in the drawings are angle bars, spanning one or more panels at their be secured on both sides of -the web nicui hers and stem portions of the flanges. In-

termediate points may be likewise strength;

ened by stifiening members 16, spanning the space between two or more panel points.

' The preferred manner of securing shear plates to the web portions of thebcain is by welding, although any suitable means for attaching the membersrigidly together may be used.

In. the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. l to 4 of the drawings, the horiand atlo'rd wide supports for the ends ot? thebeam. At their outer ends those legs may be punched with holes 17 for securing them to the supporting structure by bolts -m quire it. Similarly the horizontal legs of the angles'lo may be utilized to support minor portions of the floor system or other parts of the structure.

Any free end portions of incomplete tie members at the ends of the beams may advantageously be removed to avoid interference with portions of the supporting struc-' ture.

Either angle bars or other shapes, or flat plates, may be utilized for web strengthening members, and by disposing them horizontally upon the web of the beam so as to span one or more complete panels-the distribution of stresses in the web portions of the beam is made less severe upon the tie members. g

The stiffener members not only strengthen the ends and critical points of the beam or other element to enable it to carry its fmaximum load with safety, but enable standard forms of connections with other portions of the structure to be utilized; The end supports afiorded by theangle bars are wide and if located above the central axis of the beam, enable such members to". be

placed in position for use without temporary bracing to secure them against overturning during erection of the structure. A further advantage is that the ends of the beam may be cut off, or the web members and lower flange may be cut out as indicated inbroken lines in the drawings, to reduce its length or suit the conditions of use without w'e'akening the beam.

The invention is not restricted to the forms, shapes and dimensions of the membrs' shown in the drawings, as it is obvious that it may be applied in various forms andshapes suitable to the uses for which it is adapted.

What I claim asmy-invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A "rolled shape having straight continuous margins and an open Work web strengthened by longitudinally extending stiffening bars rigidly secured to the web members on opposite s des above its middle axis.

2. A rolled shape of the character described having a web comprising tie members strengthened by angle bars secured to a plurality of tie members on opposite sides of its We 3.. A-rolled shape having flanges connected by tie members integral therewith forming panels and stiffening members parallel to said flanges spanning one or more members connecting said flanges at spaced points forming panels, and lengthwise extending braces secured to the upper ends of adjacent-tie members and having a length greater than the space between adjacent tie members of said beams so as to span more than onepanel.

' 7; Arolled shape having straight con tinuous upper and lower margins and a web comprising integral, diagonally disposed tie members, and lengthwiseextending braces extending inwardly from its ends and secured to the upper ends of adjacent tie members.

8. A rolled shape having straight continu-.

ous upper and lower margins and a web comprising integral, diagonally disposed tie members, and lengthwise extending braces extending inwardly from its ends and secured to the upper ends'of adjacent tie members, said braces comprising horizontal -l v disposed portions constituting supports.

,9. A rolled shape having straight -continuous margins and a web comprising integral, diagonally disposed tie-members, and

lengthwise extending braces arranged on op posite sides thereof providing supporting A flanged rolled shape having Webcomprising integral, diagonally disposed tie means for attachment of connections inter mediate the ends of said shape.

10. A rolled shape having straight continuous margins and a web comprising integral, diagonally disposed tie members, and lengthwise extending braces having outwardly projecting flanges arranged on opposite sides thereof, said flanges providing supporting means for attachment of connections intermediate the ends of-said shape.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE H. nA roR'rn. 

